The "Soul to Soul" Tour

IntroductionThe Soul to Soul Tour took place during 1985 and 1986. At the beginning of the tour, the band had finished recording their album Soul to Soul. Their commercial and critical acclaim had been demonstrated during the Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour in 1984, when they had played before a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall. Longing for opportunities to expand the group's lineup, the band hired keyboardist Reese Wynans during the Soul to Soul recording sessions in Dallas, Texas.

The first leg of the tour's itinerary took the band to the United States and then on to Europe, where they performed for nearly two weeks. They then returned to North America where during a span of eight months, they alternated visits between the US and Canada, before the fourth leg took the group to Australasia. After two additional North American legs, the band made a second trip to Europe, where the schedule of performances was interrupted after Stevie suffered illness, although he continued to perform for two more shows. The final leg in Europe incorporated stops in seven countries, before the group's return to the US in October 1986.

The band's 1986 live album, Live Alive, was recorded during select shows of the tour, and many of its songs were played in 1986 through 1988. The length of the Soul to Soul Tour, at that time longest, exhausted the band as the final leg unfolded. However, the extended break at the tour's conclusion enabled both Stevie and bassist Tommy Shannon to enter treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and successfully achieve sobriety.